I'd built up a bike for the run, my partner and I both had put together better tweed outfits than we had last year, we'd bought all the ingredients to make some cupcakes, and I got a cold and spent the whole weekend under the doona on the couch

Sorry to dredge up an old thread (although there are some very nice pics in here which i'm sure more people will be interested in) but i'm trying to get outfits together for myself and my girlfriend for this year's Noosa L'Eroica show (she doesn't really ride, and i'm not doing the strenuous 120k course in a suit!) but i'm hitting a brick wall everywhere i go, the op shops are turning up nothing. Not too surprising really with the climate up here i guess. So where do you lot get your outfits? The gear Two40 and his lady were wearing is exactly what i'm thinking, though if i can find plus fours and a waistcoat for myself that would be perefect.

When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments- Elizabeth West.

Around here most of the op shops have old gents tweed jackets, though it takes a few different stops before you're likely to find something that fits. Sometimes they do have complete jacket/pant combos, but they're pretty rare to find something in your size. The next step is suss out some vintage clothing places, this is the kind of place you're much more likely to find the vests. Not sure if there's any up your way, but there'd be some great ones in and around Brisbane.

Other things to consider:* If your lady (or your mum) is handy with a sewing machine, some full length pants can get taken up for that plus 4 look.* Myers (down here anyway) have some woolen vests in their menswear section.* Some modern 3/4 shorts can pull off a vintage vibe if teamed with the right stuff. I've got some beige ones with a light coloured pinstripe, and with a plain white t shirt and some suspenders they look pretty cool.* Clip on suspenders can be picked up on ebay pretty cheap and totally sell the vintage vibe, plus you can get away without wearing a jacket which is much better for your climate!

Even jeans when teamed with a vest and a regular business shirt and a tie can get the right vibe

Thank you so much for those tips, i've worn nothing but t shirts and shorts my whole life so thinking laterally re clothing is utterly foreign to me. It doesn't sound like this will be too difficult after all.

EDIT: bit of a heads up, don't type 'suspenders' into ebay on a work computer (oops!).

When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments- Elizabeth West.